Starting and reversing means for internal-combustion engines.



l. B. ENTZ. STARTING AND REVERSING MEANS F011 INTERNAL coMBusTloN ENGTNES.

APPLICATION FlLED DEC. 23, i912.

Patented' Dec, 12, 1916.

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APLICATIQN FILED DEC. 23. 1912.

Patented Dec. 12,1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUSTUS B. ENTZ, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 EDWIN L. THURSTON, TRUSTEE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STARTING AND REVERSING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application filed December 23, 1912. Serial No. 738,122.

I,and operated Vin either direction. In other words, the invention in one of its aspects contemplates a reversible internal combustion engine having an operative relationship i therewith, a reversing or reversible starter.

A still further object is to associate with or incorporate in the starter-operating member, a magneto short circuiting switch so arranged that when the starter is in operation, the short circuiting switch is rendered inoperative, or is opened, and when the starteroperating memberf-in this case an electric switch, is moved from a position for forward engine movement, to a position for reverse starting and drive, the ignition system is thrown out of operation by short circuiting the magneto.

My invention may be briefiy summarized as consistingv in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts and details of construction which will be described in the specilication and set'forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention which operates with high efficiency, Figure 1 is a side elevation, with -parts in section, of an internal combustion engine provided with a starter controlling and also with cam shaft shifting mechanism .v by which the'engine maybe started by the switch, the magneto, and various electrical connections; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the effective connections and circuits which are established when the starter switch is thrown to a position for starting and for engine operation in a forward direction; Fig. 7 is a similar view of the connections which are established when the starter switch is thrown into position for reverse starting and operation; Fig. 8 is a simple conventional View of the engine and starter. v

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the internal combustion engine which is adapted to be started in either direction by the starter, and to operate or drive in either direction after it is started. The starter which I prefer to employ for this purpose is a reversing electric motor, or dynamo motor 11, as the dynamo electric machine is adapted to serve as a generator for lighting or battery charging purposes after the engine is started.

The dynamo motor may be coupled tothe engine in any suitable manner. A single permanently' connected power transmission agency 11X, is all that is utilized for forward and reverse starting and for operating the starter as a generator.

For the control of the starter 11, I employ a starter switch 12, which when in one position, connects the motor 11 to the battery 13,'so that the motor is started in forward direction, and so as to start the engine for operation in a forward direction, and when thrown into its reverse position, so connects the motor to the battery that the motor is started in the reverse direction, thus causing the engine to be started in the reverse direction.

In order that a four-cycle engine, such as I have shown in the drawing, may be operated in both directions, I provide the engine with an endwise 'shiftable cam shaft 14 having two sets of valve operating cams 14xi and 14h, one set being adapted to operate the valves and to cause the valves to function in the required manner for forward engine operation, and the other set serving to operate the valves and to cause them to function in the required manner for engine oper ation in the reverse or backward direction. A spring 15 normally holds the cam shaft in its right hand position as the same is viewed in Fig. 1, so that the set of cams 14al 110 lwill be in position to operate the val-ves.V I -Y provide also between the cam shaft andv thev starter operating switch 12, a suitable-conv nection which causes the cam shaft to be shifted against the pressure er tension'. of the spring 15 when the switch is thrown to. its reverse position.` This connection or con necting mechanism includes an arm 16 which is carried by a shaft 1?, which on being rocked in one direction, causes the arm 16 to move the cam shaft to thev left, or to the position for reverse engine operation so as to move the cams 141,l to operative relationship with respect tothe valve stems. The shaft 171s connected' to the movable part 12a of the switch 12, the connection including' an arm 18' secured to the shaft 17, a link 19 composed of two parts yiedahly connected by a springjIQ", and' one part attached to the arm 18, and th'e other' to a crank 2 '0 con nected' to-A the' movable switch member.

lfVhen the switch is moved from oii` posi? tion to its upper position, the engine is `started by the' motor forwardly and operates in a forward direction, and when the switch is thrown to its reverse positionvthe' cam shaft is shiftedthe motor is started' in a reverse direction, and the engine starts andi operates a reverse' direction. The two-part link 19 and the' spring' connecting th'e parts thereof ali'ow' the switch 12' to, be thrown to reverse position, even. though the' positions of the. cams might prevent the cam shaft beingl at the same time shifted to the left or to the .ositfion for reverse operation. However, i thecam shaft' can not be shiftedI just at the time the switch is thrown,`it' will be shifted by the spring19a as soon as the motorl starts to turn over the engine or as soonr as the cam shaft is turned slightly. It` will be understood ofcourse that theA magneto which is used as a' source of current for ignition purposes will.' give a spark at the desired' degree of advance for either direction 0fl rotation. -The latter, however, includes simply a 'matter' of mag,- neto design, which we believe need' not be here described in' detail". s

Referring now to the diagrammatic views especially Figs. 5 6 kand 7, it will; be seen that the dynamo'. motor 1l' includes an armature 11, a series'eld winding'jll", and a shunt ii'el'd -windin x11F. The. terminals. of the armature and'l eld windings of.I the dynamo motor and@ the terminals of the bat'- tery are connected. toz terminals of the dou.'- ble throw switch 12 b suitable conductors 21. It is believed to unnecessary, however, to describe in detail the various connections.

When the switch is` thrown to its` upper position, to startthe' engine forwardly, the parts are connected as-shown in Fig, 6. The battery now supplies current tothe. dynamo motor and' the current passes' through the series and shunt field windings, in a'direction such thatv the` elds are addative, thus producings maximum field strength.

The switch remains in the upper or forward position after' thei'engineis started, and while the electrical connections shown in Fig.. 6 are unaltered until thev switch is again o ened. After the engine picks up in spec the4 dynamo' motor is driven as a generator to charge the battery or to supply currentV to the lighting circuit 22".. When the` machine changes, from a motorv to a generator, the current reverses in the series field winding, and this decreases the field strength` an amount dependent upon the value of' the' current. in the series-winding, and. hence on. the: speed' at which'V the ma;- chine is drilven'. Therefore, the current in the series winding has a regulating' action, causing the generator to servev as' a substantially constant voltage machine.

When the starter switch is thrown to its reverse position, the connections' shown in Fig. 7 are made'. By referring to this'iigure, it` will be seen' that the' shunt' field winding is cut out of" service, and' that the current in. the armature is reversed so that thev dirrection off rotation of: the motor is reversed with' respect to the' direction of rotationy when the switch' is thrown' to' its forward positibn'. This of: course, 'starts' the engine in the reverse direction, particularly' as the' cam shaft is shifted' as before' stated. Af'- ter the engine' picks up in speed, inthe reverse' direction, the dynamo motor will not generate current. in View of the fact that the' shunt. winding' is' disconnected` or' onl an open' circuit. If desired, however, I mayv use.- the` dynamo motorl as aV generator whenA the engineis operating in the reverse direction, but under ordinary circumstances, the engine will* operate in' the reverse direction for short intervals' of'time as compared with' operation. ini the forward? direction, and as it' is' not essential that th'edynamo motor he used for batteryA charging purposes, during the periods of reversedrive, I employ` a switch which disconnectsr the shuntv field winding when the switch is in reverseA position, I am thus* enabled to use a simpler` switch than would otherwise be required.

By reference to Figs. 1", 2" and 5, it will? he seen that the' magneto' switch Or'sh'ert cir; cuiti'ng' switch. of theA magneto- 23A is incor'- porate'd in the main starter switch 121 @ne terminal of the grounding' or' short circuiting circuit' 23a of the' magnet@ is connected to' a contact 24 of? the switch 12Which has adjacent' the contact 24, a: second` conta-w24 which` is groundedE asA shown, (see Figs: 2, 3;, 4' and 5). These` two: contacts: and 24il are suiiiciently nearV each other that when the' movable memherV of the switchl 12 is in it's ofiposition' or' full open, one of-ithe'blades of the switch passes between and electrically connects the two contacts 24 and 24 so as to short circuit or ground the magneto. When, however, the switch is in either of its operative positions for forward or reverse drive, the blade of the switch passes from between the contacts 24 and 24a so as to open the magneto short circuit or ground. This arrangement has numerous advantages, among which magy7 be mentionedit does away with the liability of premature ignition being caused in a cylinder while the engine is being turned over by the starter, such as might result if the operator were able to open and close the short circuit of the magneto with a short circuiting switch not mechanically connected toor operatively associated with the starter switch. A second result obtained with the present arrangement is that the ignition system is thrown out of operation so as to stop the engine when the starter switch is moved from one operative position to its other operative position,that is to a position for drive in one direction to a position for drive in the opposite direction. A third advantage lies in the fact that the operator cannot stop the engine by closing the short circniting switch without opening the starter switch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a reversible valve internal combustion engine having a shiftable valve operating means whereby the valves may be operated for either forward or reverse drive, a starter, together with means for transmitting power from the starter to the engine for starting the engine in either direction, and a unitary means having progressive operative positions for controlling the direction of drive of the starter, and for controlling the shifting of the valve operating means.

2. In combination, a reversible valved internal combustion engine, shiftable valve operating means adapted to operate the valves for engine drive in either direction, a reversible starter together with means for transmitting power between the starter and engine for starting the latter in either direction, a starter operating member controlling the direction of starting, and an operative connection between said member and the shiftable valve operating means.

3. In combination, a reversible valved internal combustion engine adapted to drive in either forward or reverse direction, shiftable valve operating means for operating the valves for either direction ofy drive, a reversible electric motor coupled to the engine, a switch for controlling the direction of rotation of the motor, and connecting means between said switch and the shiftable valve operating means, for shifting the valve operating means when the switch is thrown to position for starting in reverse direction.

4. In combination, a reversible internal combustion engine, a starter for starting the engine in either direction, a starter controlling member having two operative positions and an intermediate inoperative position, means for supplying igniting current to the engine, said starter controlling member having means for cutting out of service the ignition means when said member is in inoperative position.

5. In combination, a reversible internal combustion engine, a starter for starting the engine in either direction, a starter controlling member having two operative positions, and an intermediate inoperative position, a source of igniting current, said starter controlling member having means for cutting said source out of service in passing from one operative position to the other.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JUSTUS B. ENTZ. Witnesses A. J. HUDSON, A. F. Kwis.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

